All Stories
- Earth
‘Island on Fire’ recounts enormous 18th century eruption
The 18th century eruption of Iceland’s Laki volcano spewed sulfurous gases that briefly cooled the globe and probably contributed to the early deaths of tens of thousands of people.
- Anthropology
Israeli fossil may recast history of first Europeans
New find suggests humans mated with Neandertals in Middle East before taking on Europe.
- Climate
Central American fires may intensify U.S. tornadoes
Smoke originating from Central American fires may strengthen U.S. tornadoes.
- Science & Society
Smell circuitry, stalled stem cells and more reader feedback
Readers discuss a journal's publishing practices, ask about the human sense of smell and weigh in on their favorite picks from our Top 25 stories of the year.
- Science & Society
Contemplating the coming of the drones
Editor in Chief, Eva Emerson, contemplates the pros and cons of small drones flocking to our skies and the science behind them, discussed in this issue's feature on animal flight research.
- Quantum Physics
Top 10 scientific mysteries for the 21st century
Solving the Top 10 scientific mysteries facing the 21st century will not be all fun but could be mostly games.
- Animals
Highway bridge noise disturbs fish’s hearing
In the lab, blacktail shiners had trouble hearing courtship growls over Alabama bridge traffic recordings.
- Animals
Ant-eating bears help plants
A complex web of interactions gives a boost to rabbitbrush plants when black bears consume ants.
- Neuroscience
Immune system may remember and adapt to stress
Mice without immune systems who receive stressed immune cells are less anxious and more social, suggesting that the immune system can adapt to stress.
- Animals
Chameleon tongue power underestimated
A South African chameleon species can shoot its tongue with up to 41,000 watts of power per kilogram of muscle involved, a new study finds.
- Agriculture
Superbugs take flight from cattle farms
Winds can carry antibiotics and drug-resistant bacteria from cattle farms to downwind communities.
- Ecosystems
‘Earth: A New Wild’ puts people in the picture
PBS nature series ‘Earth: A New Wild’ shows humans living with, and not off, their environments
